David Miranda, Campaigner and Former Brazilian Congressman, Dies Aged 37

THE GUARDIAN: Lula celebrates ‘extraordinary trajectory’ of favela-born politician and Guardian columnist who played key role in Snowden leaks

David Miranda, a champion of the LGBTQ+ cause married to the journalist Glenn Greenwald, had been suffering a severe gastrointestinal infection. Photograph: Sérgio Lima/AFP/Getty Images
Brazilian politicians, celebrities and social activists have paid tribute to the vivacious, loving and combative former congressman and campaigner David Miranda who has died in Rio de Janeiro aged 37.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, celebrated the “extraordinary trajectory” of the favela-born politician who served in the country’s congress between 2019 and 2022 and was a powerful voice of resistance during the far-right administration of Jair Bolsonaro.

The death of Miranda, who was also a columnist for Guardian US, was announced on Tuesday by his husband, the American journalist and lawyer Glenn Greenwald, with whom he raised two adopted sons, João and Jonathan.

“He would have turned 38 tomorrow,” Greenwald tweeted. “He died in full peace, surrounded by our children and family and friends.” » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro | Tuesday, May 9, 2023

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Terrorist & Spy? Greenwald's Partner Accused by UK for Carrying Snowden Docs

British authorities say the partner of a newspaper reporter who's been publishing Edward Snowden's leaks, was involved in espionage and terrorism. The accusation was made in a Scotland Yard document which is being used as evidence in a London court hearing. A hearing for David Miranda's legal challenge is scheduled for next week. Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, joins RT to talk about how it may play out.

THE OBSERVER: Metropolitan police detained David Miranda for promoting 'political' causes: Justification for airport detention of partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald alarms human rights groups and Tory MP » | Jamie Doward | Saturday, November 02, 2013

Miranda Detention: 'Blatant Attack on Press Freedom'

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The detention of David Miranda -- partner of the Guardian journalist involved in the NSA revelations -- and the destruction of hard drives in the British newspaper's basement reveal one thing: Governments do not want their citizens to be informed when it comes to the topic of surveillance.

I woke up last Sunday in Berlin to an email from Glenn Greenwald with only one sentence: "I need to talk to you ASAP."

For the past three months, Glenn and I have been reporting on the NSA disclosures revealed to us by Edward Snowden.

I went online to the encrypted channel that Glenn and I use to communicate. He told me that he had just received a call telling him that his partner David Miranda was being detained at London's Heathrow airport under the Terrorism Act. David was traveling from Berlin where he had come to work with me. For the next six hours I was online with Glenn as he tried to find out what was happening to the person he loves most in the world. » | A Commentary by Laura Poitras | Monday, August 26, 2013

Miranda Rights: UK Takes Flak over Detention of Greenwald's Partner, File Destruction

A judge has ruled British police won't be able to fully inspect a lap-top or other items taken from the partner of a journalist who was involved in publishing NSA spy leaks. David Miranda was detained and questioned for nine hours under the Terrorism Act in London. The government's been under fire ever since detaining him, as well as forcing the Guardian newspaper to destroy files containing NSA data.

David Miranda's Detention Is a Threat to Press Freedom, Say European Editors

THE GUARDIAN: Newspapers urge prime minister to restore Britain's reputation for free press after holding of Guardian journalist's partner

The detention and subsequent criminal investigation into the partner of a Guardian journalist threatens to undermine the position of the free press around the world, the editors of several northern European newspapers have warned.

In an open letter to David Cameron published in today's Observer, the editors of Denmark's Politiken, Sweden's Dagens Nyheter, Norway's Aftenposten and Finland's Helsingin Sanomat describe the detention of David Miranda, the partner of the Guardian's Glenn Greenwald, as harassment.

They say that the "events in Great Britain over the past week give rise to deep concern" and call on the British prime minister to "reinstall your government among the leading defenders of the free press".

Miranda was detained by the Metropolitan police for nine hours last Sunday as he was passing through Heathrow on his way to Brazil.

Greenwald has broken a series of stories about the US intelligence agencies based on material leaked by the National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The editors describe a free press as crucial to holding governments and their intelligence agencies to account. They write: "We are surprised by the recent acts by officials of your government against our colleagues at the Guardian and deeply concerned that a stout defender of democracy and free debate like the United Kingdom uses anti-terror legislation in order to legalise what amounts to harassment of both the paper and individuals associated with it."

They add: "It is deeply disturbing that the police have now announced a criminal investigation" and they warn that "the implication of these acts may have ramifications far beyond the borders of the UK, undermining the position of the free press throughout the world". » | Jamie Doward | The Observer | Saturday, August 24, 2013

David Miranda's Lawyer Announces Injunction Outside Court

David Miranda's lawyer, Gwendolen Morgan, announces that her client has been granted a limited injunction at the high court which prevents police 'inspecting, copying or sharing' data seized from him at Heathrow airport. Examination for national security purposes, however, is allowed

Druck auf den "Guardian": Cameron soll Schikanen angeordnet haben

21.08.2013 - Unter Aufsicht des britischen Geheimdienstes mussten die NSA-Enthüller ihr Recherchematerial zerstören. Das berichtet der "Guardian"-Chefredakteur. Der britische Premierminister soll angeordnet haben, die Redaktion unter Druck zu setzen.

Inside Story: Is the UK Intimidating Journalists?

As the partner of journalist Glenn Greenwald is questioned by police, we ask if the UK's Terrorism Act is being misused.

UK Crackdown on Snowden Files

The British government's attempts to stem the tide of articles on mass surveillance have gone beyond intimidating the journalist behind the publications. Just a day after Glenn Greenwald's partner was detained at Heathrow airport, The Guardian's editor came forward describing how the authorities pressured the newspaper to destroy documents provided by NSA leaker Edward Snowden. The UK government has reportedly confirmed the move was sanctioned by the Prime Minister himself.

David Miranda Heathrow Detention: No 10 'Kept Abreast of Operation'

BBC: No 10 was "kept abreast" of the decision to detain David Miranda, the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, a spokesman has said.

Mr Miranda was held at Heathrow for nine hours on Sunday, while in transit from Germany to Brazil.

He has launched a legal challenge over the police's use of anti-terror laws to detain him and seize his property.

But Home Secretary Theresa May said the police must act if someone had "highly sensitive stolen information".

Mr Miranda, a 28-year-old Brazilian national, was held at Heathrow on his way from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro where he lives with Mr Greenwald. The Guardian said he had been carrying "journalistic materials" but was not an employee of the newspaper.

Mr Greenwald has broken most of the stories about state surveillance based on the leaks from fugitive Edward Snowden, who used to work at the US National Security Agency.

Mr Miranda said he was held in a room and questioned by six agents about his "entire life". They confiscated his laptop, an additional hard drive, two memory sticks, a mobile phone, a smart watch and a video games console, his lawyers said.

He was required to divulge the passwords to his personal computers, phone and encrypted storage devices, they added. (+ video) » | Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Alan Rusbridger of The Guardian: I Would Rather Destroy the Copied Files Than Hand Them Back to the NSA and GCHQ

The Guardian's editor reveals why and how the newspaper destroyed computer hard drives containing copies of some of the secret files leaked by Edward Snowden. The decision was taken after a threat of legal action by the British government, that could have stopped the reporting on the extent of American and British state surveillance revealed by the document

UK Defends Snowden-linked Detention

Government cites "national security duty" in case of detention of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald's partner.

Greenwald: UK Will Be 'Sorry' for Detaining Partner

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Guardian journalist who wrote stories exposing mass American surveillance programmes says UK government will be "sorry" for holding his partner for nine hours under the Terrorism Act, and vows to publish further secrets.

David Miranda was passing through London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday on his way home to Rio de Janeiro when he was held by police.

Mr Miranda, who lives with the reporter Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who interviewed American whistleblower Edward Snowden, was stopped at 8am returning from a trip to Berlin.

Speaking to reporters at Rio de Janeiro's airport, Mr Greenwald said Britain will be "sorry" for detaining his partner for nine hours. Mr Greenwald said: "I will be far more aggressive in my reporting from now [on]. I am going to publish many more documents.

"I am going to publish things on England too. I have many documents on England's spy system. I think they will be sorry for what they did." » | Claire Carter and Andrew Marszal | Monday, August 19, 2013

US Denies Ordering Airport Detention

BBC: The US government has said it was not involved in the decision to detain the partner of a journalist who published information from US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

A White House spokesman said the decision to detain Mr Miranda "was not made at the request or with the involvement of the US government".

But he said British officials did give them a "heads up" about the detention.

David Miranda, 28, was held for nine hours by police at Heathrow on Sunday.

Police held Mr Miranda under terrorism laws but have not said why.

He said he was kept in a room and quizzed by "six agents". (+ video) » | Monday, August 19, 2013

Greenwald's Partner David Miranda on His Detention under Terror Laws

David Miranda, the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, says he was questioned about his entire life after being detained for nine hours under anti-terror laws at London's Heathrow airport. Greenwald, who met David Miranda at Rio de Janeiro's international airport, said as a journalist he would not be silenced by this police action against his partner and vowed to publish many more spying documents. Brazil's foreign minister says the detention was 'unjustified'

Is Glenn Greenwald's Journalism Now Viewed as a 'Terrorist' Occupation?

THE GUARDIAN: David Miranda's detention shows that being the partner of the man who interviewed the NSA whistleblower is enough to see you treated like a terrorist

The detention at Heathrow on Sunday of the Brazilian David Miranda is the sort of treatment western politicians love to deplore in Putin's Russia or Ahmadinejad's Iran. His "offence" under the 2000 Terrorism Act was apparently to be the partner of a journalist, Glenn Greenwald, who had reported for the Guardian on material released by the American whistleblower, Edward Snowden. We must assume the Americans asked the British government to nab him, shake him down and take his personal effects.

Miranda's phone and laptop were confiscated and he was held incommunicado, without access to friends or lawyer, for the maximum nine hours allowed under law. It is the airport equivalent of smashing into someone's flat, rifling through their drawers and stealing papers and documents. It is simple harassment and intimidation. » | Simon Jenkins | Monday, August 19, 2013